June Renew: Day 18
Weight: IDK I’m in D.C.
I spent 24-hours in our nation’s capital. Just a quick three-hour train trip away. I would havce stayed longer, but inflation is a bitch these days. They printed too much money there in Washington, and now we’re all feeling the effects. Either way, I knew I was going to have a nice time, as I always do anywhere I go, but I was definitely taken aback by a few things. I was expecting an eerie vibe all throughout the place, but I didn’t. It was calming and rich with history. I felt like everything had a purpose everywhere I went. All the very important people lining up in the very important buildings, ready to make something out of nothing but negotiations and legislations.
The first thing I saw after emerging from the Union Station was the Capitol building. Where it all went down. Where it still goes down, as they just don’t seem to want to let that 45-minute cringe riot go. I decided not to go to my hotel room just yet, so I tooled around a bit, walking toward the Capitol, the sight of so much and not enough. I just sat in front of it for a bit, struck by the majesty of such a magnificent structure. I even walked up to place my palm on the marble, just to make sure it was real. It wasn’t hard for me to toss out all my preconceptions about what a swamp it all is, It was just a nice place to be.
The coof™ rules are still said to be in effect, but just on public transportation. I took two Lyfts while I was there and the drivers didn’t mind seeing my naked face. Like I said yesterday, I am d-o-n-e. But one would think in a place like D.C. those rules would still be lingering. And yet, they’re not. I went to one of the Smithsonian art museums today and it was still optional. All of it got me thinking about New York City and the problem with it. What makes it so special that it still needs to put Covid at the forefront of everything? I saw just swells of tourists all over the place today. The line for the National Archives was so long I didn’t bother waiting to go in. D.C. right now is what New York thinks it is, but simply isn’t. All I saw was people who just want to enjoy what the city (well, district) could offer. New York has every opportunity to do so and they’re blowing it. If the American spirit can find a home in the core of the ‘problem,’ then what is my city’s problem here?
I do think if circumstances brought me to D.C., I could definitely hang there. I’d spend a lot more time outside for sure. According to my co-worker who I met up with down there, I picked a great weekend to go. The weather was just perfect, and there was an incredible breeze everywhere I went. But she did warn that in the summer it gets, quote, “swampy,” to which I had to resist the obvious joke. I can handle a little heat. I’ve long stopped caring about being a sweaty, sticky mess. So maybe one day I’ll get to be at the political helm of the country. Maybe I can make it better. I like to think my arrival there was so earth-shattering, it caused Joe Biden to topple off his bike. Too soon?